In the formation of food product slices, one common method is to advance a larger portion of the food product to a slicing blade. The advancement of the food product in conjunction with the rotation of the slicing blade results in slices of food product being cut from the larger portion of the food product. Typical types of food products that are sliced include meats and cheeses. For example, cheese slices may be cut from an end of a larger portion of cheese. Also by way of example, meat slices may be cut from an end of a larger portion of meat, such as bacon slices from a pork belly or deli meat slices from a meat log.
Various configurations of equipment can be used for the formation of food product slices from a larger portion of the food product. This equipment can include a machinery framework supporting a slicing blade, a motor and a shaft operably connected between the slicing blade and the motor for driving the slicing blade for rotation using the motor. The equipment can also include a conveyor, such as a belt conveyor, for advancing the larger portion of the food product to the slicing blade. A motor can be associated with the conveyor for driving the conveyor.
In high speed commercial production, a controller can be used to synchronize the operation of the components on the framework. For example, a controller can be used to control the motor operably connected to the slicing blade and to control the operation of the conveyor. The controller can adjust the speeds of the motors to control the thickness of the sliced food product, such as by speeding up or slowing down the speeds of the motors to thereby control the speeds of the slicing blade and the conveyor. The controller can also be connected to other electronic components of the platform, such as sensors for sensing the position of the larger portion of the food product and sensors for sensing the speeds of the motors.
Depending upon the specific type of equipment arrangement, differing in-feed mechanisms can be used. One type of in-feed mechanism is a hold-down drive roller, driven for rotation. Another type of in-feed mechanism is a gripper supported by a cantilevered arm, which arm is movable. Yet another type of in-feed mechanism is a pusher associated to move with the conveyor belt.
Many of the surfaces of the platform and its components that come into contact with the food product are periodically cleaned. For instance, the slicer blade, an associated housing, and the conveyor can come in contact with the food product and be periodically cleaned. As the components are supported by the framework, operation of the entire piece of equipment is halted so that some of the components can be cleaned. This disadvantageously results in unnecessary down-time for components that do not need to be cleaned or need cleaning on less frequent bases. Furthermore, care is taken during cleaning so as to not damage the electronic components associated with the framework, such as the sensors, motors and controller. Protecting the electronic components during cleaning can increase the time associated with the cleaning process, thereby disadvantageously increasing the down-time of the equipment. For example, the electronic components can be wrapped or otherwise protect, or certain components can be removed from the framework, both of which can add to the down-time of the equipment.
Attempts have been made to simplify cleaning of food slicing equipment. In one example, heat treatments can be applied to the exterior of the equipment in order to avoid having to disassemble. However, such exterior heat treatments can require significant preparation work, thereby disadvantageously contributing to down-time of the equipment. In another example, a hot air heater can be associated with a target area, such as the slicing blade, for cleaning purposes. However, the hot air heater can disadvantageously create a heated zone adjacent to the target area.